1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to ground anchors, particularly to a wheel anchor apparatus and method for use with a winch on a motor vehicle.
2. Description of Prior Art
Ground anchors of various types are highly useful for back road and off road operations, in which mud holes, sand, snow drifts and steep grades, with low traction are all encountered again and again.
It is common practice to provide vehicles used under any of the above mentioned conditions with a power winch mounted on the front thereof, comprising a cable and a winding drum, together with a suitable drum driving means, such as a geared down electric motor, or mechanical drive connections from the vehicle motor for the purpose of winching the vehicle when it is unable to progress under its own power, or pulling out a stuck vehicle. Also, there are portable vehicle power winches which can be used to pull items such as vehicles, logs, game animals, etc. across terrain.
Quite frequently a tree may be available for anchorage, but since the availability of a suitable tree cannot be depended upon, a compact and effective anchoring system, capable of employing the ground for temporary anchorage, is extremely useful.
Several types of ground anchors have been proposed. Examples of known anchor systems are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,308,939 to Eggleston (1919); 1,550,276 to Nilson (1925); 3,216,159 to Rooker (1965); 3,500,598 to Ettinger (1970); 3,828,497 to Vinycomb (1974); 4,363,198 to Myer (1982) and 4,825,604 to Manning (1989). These types of ground anchors have been used for various purposes. However, these types of anchors had and still have significant disadvantages. For example, some of such anchors are difficult to insert into the ground. Particularly, they are ineffective in loose sand or mud, must be assembled for use, or require a separate pounding member to set the anchoring element. Others are intended for use as more or less permanent anchoring (e.g., to anchor a guy wire used to support a telephone or power pole or large post). Still others are intended for light duty use where the force applied to the anchor is usually not very substantial.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,598 to Ettinger (1970) discloses a ground anchor with spikes serving as anchoring elements; however, such spikes comprise insufficient surface area to resist being pulled through loose sand or mud. Also, the spikes must be impacted into the ground, thus are difficult to remove after use. U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,497 to Vinycomb (1974) shows a fluke type ground anchor; the anchoring element depends upon acute angle positioning and substantial pulling force to penetrate the ground. These types of anchors are usually quite large and of heavy construction. U.S. Pat. No. 4,363,198 to Meyer (1982) shows adjoined spade embers impacted into the ground; such types of ground anchors will not withstand substantial load forces typically generated by modern winches.
There has not been provided a collapsible, easy to use ground anchor which is contiguous in placement to firmly support a motor vehicle in type or condition of earth for the purpose of winching or stabilizing. Particularly, which is self inserting, self loading, easily removed from the ground, and packed away in the vehicle for future use. More particularly, which requires no special tools for use.